Japan – A General Overview

Japan is an East Asia island country, which is also known as the Land if the Rising Sun. It is an archipelago with over 3,000 islands and has a population of approximately 128 million, making it one of the top 10 highly populated countries in the world.

The climate in Japan is tropical in the southern part, and cool in the opposite side. Most of Japan’s terrain is mountainous and rugged. This is the reason many of Japanese cities are over populated.

Japan is also found in “The Ring of Fire of the Pacific” which is an area famous for volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. In fact, Japan’s history is fraught with sad stories of lives lost and homes ruined because of natural calamities like these.

In addition, since Japan has virtually no natural resources, it has to import most of its oil, LPG and coal.
We have all heard about Sony, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Toyota, and all these world known brands that all originate from Japan. The top industries in Japan are machine tools, consumer electronics, steel, nonferrous metals, and of course, motor vehicles.

From these industries, Japan is successfully exporting the vehicles, office machinery and semi conductors. The rise in industrial industries in Japan is mainly due to the fact that it has very little arable land. As a matter of fact, about 15% of Japan’s land can be cultivated. Most farmers have to supplement their income by working part time on other areas.

Japan is also a very highly religious country. There are two major religions in Japan: Buddhism and Shintoism. Buddhism believes in the afterlife while Shintoism does not. There are other ways that these two religions do not see eye to eye, and yet they are managing to co-exist in one country quite peacefully.

Christianity is the third major religion in the country and started in 1549, and then later on reintroduced to the Japanese in the 1800. Today, there are about 1.4 followers, including some in important positions in public affairs.

Japan has many popular sites like Mount Fuji which has become a global brand for Japan. It is also home to 13 World Heritage sites like the Sacred Sites of Kii Mountain Range, the monuments of Ancient Nara, Shiretoko, the temples of Nikko, and Yakushima Island.

Japanese food and culture have also been widely published and recognized the world over. All major cities of the world now have a Japanese restaurant somewhere inside its boundaries. The Japanese food has crossed many borders, and has been accepted as a delightful cuisine by almost all nationalities.

Visiting Japan for the first time will always be a memory best kept close to your heart. The people and very respectful and pride themselves on honor. Throughout the history of Japan, you read about bravery, determination, and will power, but most of all, you read about honor. To the Japanese, loss of honor is the worst possible fate, and so they do their utmost to live an upright life.